D-Wave and Virginia Tech Join Forces to Advance Quantum Computing

Goal is to Establish Quantum Computing Center at Virginia Tech to Support Defense and Intelligence Communities

Hanover, MD – March 13, 2017 - D-Wave Systems Inc., the leader in quantum computing systems and software, and Virginia Tech, Virginia’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, have established a joint effort to provide greater access to quantum computers for researchers from the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense.

D-Wave and Virginia Tech will work towards the creation of a permanent quantum computing center to house a D-Wave system at the Hume Center for National Security and Technology.

The Hume Center leads Virginia Tech's research, education, and outreach programs focused on the challenges of cybersecurity and autonomy in the context of national and homeland security. Education programs provide mentorship, internships, and scholarships, and seek to address key challenges in qualified US citizens entering federal service. Current research initiatives include cyber-physical system security, orchestrated missions, and the convergence of cyber warfare and electronic warfare.

“Both D-Wave and Virginia Tech recognize how vital it is that quantum computing be accessible to a broad community of experts focused on solving real-world problems,” said Bo Ewald, president of D‑Wave International. “One of the many reasons we chose to work with Virginia Tech is their strong relationships with the intelligence and defense communities. A key area of focus will be to work with federal agencies towards the creation of a quantum computing center at the Hume Center.”

Under the agreement, D-Wave will work with Virginia Tech to enable their staff, faculty, and affiliates to build new applications and software tools for D-Wave quantum computers. Participants will be selected by Virginia Tech and include experts in artificial intelligence, machine learning, optimization, and sampling.

“Establishing a quantum computing center at the Hume Center will advance our mission of supporting national security, and provide access to technology that few researchers can leverage today,” said Mark Goodwin, deputy director and COO of the Hume Center. “Working closely with D-Wave supports that goal in a meaningful, immediate way.”

About D-Wave Systems Inc.

D-Wave is the leader in the development and delivery of quantum computing systems and software, and the world’s only commercial supplier of quantum computers. Our mission is to unlock the power of quantum computing for the world. We believe that quantum computing will enable solutions to the most challenging national defense, scientific, technical, and commercial problems. D-Wave’s systems are being used by some of the world’s most advanced organizations, including Lockheed Martin, Google, NASA Ames, USRA, USC, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. With headquarters near Vancouver, Canada, D-Wave’s U.S. operations are based in Palo Alto, CA and Hanover, MD. D-Wave has a blue-chip investor base including Goldman Sachs, Bezos Expeditions, DFJ, In-Q-Tel, BDC Capital, Growthworks, Harris & Harris Group, International Investment and Underwriting, and Kensington Partners Limited. For more information, visit: www.dwavesys.com.

About the Hume Center at Virginia Tech

The Hume Center was founded in 2010 through an endowment from Ted and Karyn Hume and is located both in Blacksburg and in the National Capital Region. With support from Virginia Tech's College of Engineering and Institute for Critical Technologies and Applied Sciences (ICTAS), the Hume Center leads the university's education and research ecosystem for national security technologies, with an emphasis on the communication and computation challenges of the defense and intelligence communities. Approximately 150 undergraduate students and 50 graduate students participate in Hume Center programs each year and most receive scholarships, fellowships, or research assistantships and are vectored toward careers working for the federal government or its industrial base.